Is it born or borne? While both are past tense forms of the verb “to bear,” they are used in different contexts. Use born specifically for birth (a baby was born). Use borne (with an “e”) for everything else, including carrying an object, supporting a weight, or enduring a hardship. The grammar of borne and…
Here’s a little tip to help you promote your book. Have you thought about including reviews in your book description? Why? Because it’s the first thing a potential reader sees when they click on your book. You might have a ton of great book reviews, but they all appear way down your book page on…
The causative is an extremely useful tool for fiction writers. It lets you show the influence of one character over another, such as for control, persuasion, or cooperation, instead of telling your reader. The grammatical structure, sometimes called causative verbs, quickly shows what one character causes another to do without writing long, complex sentences. While…
Using The Causative In Fiction Writing To Show Character Influence Read More »
Can you start a blog anonymously and keep your identity a secret? Yes, you can, and it’s relatively easy to do. Perhaps you want to protect your privacy or avoid potential conflicts with your professional life. For authors who write under a pseudonym, blogging under your pen name is often a good idea. Whatever your reasons,…
The first draft of a short story, novel, or even an article or poem is only for you. Terry Pratchett once said, “The first draft is just you telling yourself the story.” It doesn’t matter if you are a plotter and work with an outline or a panster (a writer who flies by the seat…
For most writers, using conditional sentences is intuitive. You don’t need to think because they come naturally. While that’s perfectly okay, sometimes it’s worth investigating grammar points that you rarely think about. In this case, you might find that you can do more or add more variety to your writing. Do you know that there…
How To Use The Five Types Of Conditional Sentences Read More »
Every day, you probably read about the difficulties of sites posting product reviews or informational article writing due to the advent of artificial intelligence (AI) search. Headlines and social media posts such as “SEO is dead” or “the days of blogging are over” are commonplace. While it’s true that changes to the way search engines…
If you are a new author, don’t decide on the price of your self-published book at the time of publishing. Book buyers are price-sensitive and have expectations of what an ebook or print book is worth. If you rush your decision, you could be pricing your book too low or too high. Another factor is…
Is it hunger pangs or hunger pains? The correct phrase is hunger pangs. While it certainly feels like a “pain,” the word pang specifically describes a sudden, sharp spasm or a brief feeling of distress. “Hunger pains” is a common mishearing that has become a widespread spelling error. The origins of hunger pangs The etymology…
Hunger Pangs Or Hunger Pains? (The Correct Version) Read More »
One of the most powerful tools a writer possesses is the ability to craft word order. Sure, you might think that grammar rules control most aspects, but this is not entirely true. Apart from some standard rules, such as subject-verb-object (SVO), as a writer, you have plenty of options to rearrange words to suit your…
